Aberdeen Fishing Village

The quaint and charming Aberdeen Fishing Village is not far from the hustle and bustle of the heart of Hong Kong,
but seems like light-years away from it all, at first look.

Here you see rows upon rows of the old-fashioned junks and sampans, some house
boats where the fishermen and their families still live, (at least for some 9 months of the year) all going on their daily routines, which now
include mobile phones and satellite dishes.

It is a very picturesque scene, with the unexpected touch of modernity right and left. The high-rises framing
the harbour and the ultra-modern yacths moored not far away complete this picture of contrasts.

Aberdeen Fishing Village and the Aberdeen Harbour are a feast for photographers and very
much worth a look, you can get a sense for what things were like long ago and how modern life is catching up to the old traditions,
which stubbornly co-exist with contemporary amenities.

Aberdeen Harbour has the distinct honour of being the first place where the British set foot upon arriving in Hong Kong. Back then, Aberdeen
was the center of the incense trade, this is how Hong Kong got its name, it literally means "Fragrant Harbour".

Aberdeen continues to be a thriving and busy harbour, and is still home to the boat-dwelling Tanka people. You will see the old ladies still
dressed in traditional ways, peddling the catch of the day and the sampan rides around the harbour for the tourists,
these are two of Aberdeen's main industries at work, fishing and tourism.

Aberdeen Fishing Village and Harbour

(Point Over the Thumbnails at the Bottom to Scroll through the Photos)

Aberdeen Harbour
Sampans and Fishing Boats

Along the Aberdeen Promenade

The Aberdeen Promenade that runs along the coast is the beginning of the action. Taxis, public and tourist buses will drop you off here.
At one end of the promenade will be the Dried Seafood Stalls and Seafood Market with the daily catch, check out
all sorts of seafood being bartered away to the seafood restaurants and wholesalers.

Aberdeen is a very busy fishing port, it accounts for one-third of the total catch in Hong Kong.

The Aberdeen Promenade has been newly renovated, here you will find bathroom facilities, vending machines, nice areas to just sit and people watch, or stroll and watch all the action.

Also along the promenade you will find the starting point for the ferries to the Floating Restaurants, the many "Sampan Ride" stations and the ferry to Ap Lei Chau, the little island just across.

Along the Aberdeen Promenade
Great for a stroll, a break, or just people watch

Aberdeen Fishing Village Sampan Rides

A Sampan Ride through the Harbour is a great way to see Aberdeen in action. And finding a Sampan will be no trouble at all,
the Tanka women will be on to you before you know it. Expect to be approached not once, not twice, but several times until you do get into one.

The asking price is around HK 80 per person which you can bargain down to HK 50 or even less if you have several in your group. Make sure you
negotiate this before the tour.

The rides are around
25-30 minutes long and they zip you from the docks in the Aberdeen Promenade for a closer look to the floating village,
amongst the ferries, trawlers, junks, fishing boats traversing the waters, the boat-dwellers enjoying a cup of tea or going on their daily chores in their floating homes,
the shipyards along the sides, and also for a close-up look at the Floating Restaurants.

Aberdeen Sampan Rides leave from the docks along the Promenade

Getting to Aberdeen Fishing Village

Getting to Aberdeen is easy with Bus 70 from Exchange Square. Take the Hong Kong Station MTR Exit D to get to Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Bus 70 will
bring you to the Aberdeen Promenade. Remember you can use your Octopus Card to pay the fare. Sit in the upper deck, the vistas as you approach the coast are very nice.

There is no MTR service for Aberdeen at the moment. The MTR line is being extended to reach Aberdeen and is scheduled for completion in 2015.

You can also take a taxi which should be about HK$60-70 from Central. You find the Taxi stands also at the Aberdeen Promenade when you are ready to return.

Many of the city tours offered by operators make a stop here at Aberdeen. We like Viator's Hong Kong Island Half-Day Tour, which
at about US$36 per person is great value and covers a lot of the highlights, it is a great introduction for first-timers.

Aberdeen is also a stop on the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus. You have to take the Green Route which connects at the Central Star Ferry Pier and services Aberdeen, Repulse Bay and Stanley.

After your visit to Aberdeen why not continue heading south? Repulse Bay is nearby and is one of the most popular beaches for HK dwellers, but
the main attraction for visitors is the colorful temple overlooking the bay, it is a very unique setting. Just hop on any bus heading down to Stanley via Repulse Bay.
Take a look at Repulse Bay!